Having two TVs hooked up to a single Dish Network receiver is advantageous in many circumstances. For instance, you might wish to have a television set in your living room and another in your bedroom or home office, both of which are linked to the same Dish account and DVR recorded programs. The process of connecting two TVs to one Dish receiver can be achieved by utilizing a dual RF remote Dish Pro Hybrid splitter and additional coaxial cables. Here is a process of how one can set this up as follows.
What You Need
- Dish Network receiver (Hopper, Joey, etc)
- Two-way RF remote Dish Pro Hybrid splitter
- Coaxial cables
- Cable inputs are available with two TVs.
One of the critical parts that enable the user to connect two TVs to one Dish receiver is the Dish Pro Hybrid splitter Dual RF remote. This means that the satellite signal from the dish and the commands from the remotes can travel in both directions to the two TVs through the single coaxial line connecting the two from the receiver.
Further, for the second TV, you will require additional coaxial cables, so you would prefer to have some spare ones. The total cable length from the receiver to each of the TVs should not be more than 200 ft as this may lead to signal loss.
Step 1 – Install the Dish Pro Hybrid Splitter
Start by identifying the coaxial output of the receiver that connects to the first television. This cable should be disconnected from the end of the receiver as well. Connect one end of the Dish Pro Hybrid Splitter to the coaxial output of the receiver. Connect the “Receiver” port of the splitter to the device that you are using to view the video.
Step 2 – Connect the First TV
To continue with the process the first television should be connected to the second television in the following manner;
Choose one of the output cables of the Dish Pro Hybrid Splitter and connect it to the coaxial input of the first Television. This links TV 1 to the receiver through the splitter.
Step 3 – Connect the Second TV To complete the process, you need to connect the second TV in the following manner:
Next, connect a new length of coaxial cable from the second output port of the Dish Pro Hybrid Splitter to the location of the second TV. Screw one end of this cable to the vacant output port on the splitter with the label ‘TV 2’.
Screw the other end of this cable to the available coaxial input on the back of the second television set. The wires and cable connections should also be tightened well.
Step 4 – Now that the cables are connected, the next step is to set the TV inputs.
All coaxial connections have been made from the Dish Pro Hybrid Splitter to both TVs and the last thing to do is program the TVs to the correct video inputs.
For each TV, press the input button on the TV remote to choose the coaxial connection the Dish cable is currently connected to. For instance, your Dish cable can be connected to Input 1 or the “Cable” input on the said TVs. Choose that input so the picture from the Dish receiver appears.
Step 5 - Connect remotes (Infrared or Ultra High Frequency Professional)
Dish Pro IR remotes or UHF Pro remotes will operate the Dish Network receiver in both TV locations through the Dish Pro Hybrid Splitter.
In the case of IR remotes, there should be an unobstructed path away from the direction you are pointing the remote towards the IR sensor window of the splitter. This helps to let the IR signal be passed to the receiver part of the circuit.
For the case of UHF Pro remotes, you need to make sure that each of the remotes is paired/synced with the respective receiver through the remote setting menu. The Dish Pro Hybrid Splitter will allow all these UHF signals to be passed through.
Now you will be able to watch all satellite channels, recordings, apps, and navigation menus on both TVs separately. Get to watch your favorite TV shows from two different rooms!
Additional Tips
Here are some helpful additional tips when connecting two TVs to a Dish Network receiver:
Cable Quality
For the best possible signal to both TVs, the high-quality RG6 coaxial cable must be employed between the splitter and the TVs, not the cheap RG59 cable. RG6 is thicker with enhanced signal protection from interference.
Antenna Signal Booster
If you see pixelation or poor signal quality on the second TV, a coaxial signal amplifier should be placed before the Dish Pro Hybrid Splitter. This compensates for some signal loss over longer cable lengths to ensure that it can work properly depending on the type of cable used.
Wireless HDMI Connection
If you want to connect the second TV, it is better to use a wireless HDMI extender kit rather than running coaxial cables. This enables you to send uncompressed HD video from the receiver to the second TV without affecting the satellite signal quality through wireless video transmission adapters.
Independent Viewing
Connecting two TVs allows watching two programs simultaneously or using the second TV and remote to access previous recordings. However, only one Live TV channel can be watched at a time.
That summarizes the overall procedure for being able to link two TVs to a single Dish Network receiver. This setup enables you to cascade satellite TV signals to other TVs without requiring a second receiver. By using the correct cabling and splitter, it is very easy to have Dish programming on different TVs.
Ready to upgrade your TV experience? Call us now at (877) 471-4808 to find the perfect Dish Network plan for you! Don’t miss out on great entertainment—our team is here to help you choose the best package and get you started today.
